Venue

Accessibility Scotland 2023 will be held in the Edinburgh International Conference Centre (EICC).

Edinburgh International Conference Centre.
The EICC viewed from the street. Photo by M J Richardson

The EICC is a modern, purpose-built and fully-accessible events venue.

The venue has been designed to be inclusive to people of all abilities and the venue team has received full Equality and Diversity Training.

British Sign Language (BSL)  and Captioning

As part of our ongoing efforts to make our event as inclusive as possible, we will be providing BSL interpreters and live captions for all the talks.

Visual impairments

Speakers slides will be provided in an accessible format for any delegates with a visual impairment.

Assistance dogs are welcome.

Venue address

EICC,
The Exchange,
Edinburgh,
EH3 8EE.
Scotland.

Please use the Strathblane entrance when arriving at the venue.

The following information is from the EICC disability access page.

Getting to the venue

Located in The Exchange district of central Edinburgh, the EICC can be reached by several routes with plenty of accessible travel options to choose from.

Accessible Parking near the EICC

Dedicated accessible parking spaces are available in the following facilities:

In addition there is on street parking on Morrison Street near the EICC’s main entrance and in surrounding streets, such as Gardner’s Crescent, which is free and without time limit for Blue Badge holders.

Visitors from outside the European Union can apply for Blue Badge status for the duration of their visit. They should contact the City of Edinburgh Council with as much notice as possible via their Request a Blue Badge webpage

Please note that you should not park:

  • In bus lanes during the hours of operation
  • In cycle lanes
  • On single or double red lines during the hours of operation or in a dangerous section of the road
  • On zig-zag pedestrian crossings at school entrance
  • In bus stops

Bus

Several local buses stop at Lothian Road, which is approx. 300 metres from the EICC. Additionally, Lothian Buses service No. 2 stops just a few metres from the EICC’s   main entrances.

All Lothian Buses are easy access, they are equipped with:

  • Low entrances that can “kneel” to kerb height to give step free access where possible
  • Retractable boarding ramp for wheelchair access
  • Completely flat areas on the lower deck (with no internal steps)
  • High visibility handrails
  • A dedicated wheelchair space
  • Drivers who are specially trained to help customers enjoy the full benefit of their buses

Taxi

The EICC benefits from a reserved drop-off area where taxis and cars can park temporarily, directly outside the venue’s two entrances.  The taxi rank is situated at the front of the EICC where there is a dropped kerb. Taxis can be booked at the EICC’s Concierge Desks.

The venues preferred taxi supplier is Central Taxis. All Central Taxis are wheelchair accessible. They offer a mix of 5-seater TX Hackney cabs, 6-seater Mercedes M8 taxis and Peugeot E7 taxis each of which is supplied with a wheelchair ramp, seatbelts and additional safety anchors. All drivers have completed training in Wheelchair Access and Disability Awareness.

Train

The closest train station to the EICC is Haymarket. The station is accessible and is less than 500 metres from the venue.

Waverley Station is one mile from the EICC. All entrances to the station are step-free. Further details can be found in Waverley Station’s accessibility guide.

Tram

Edinburgh Trams stop directly outside Haymarket Station, which is the closest tram stop to the EICC.  The trams provide frequent connections from the city centre to Edinburgh Airport.

On foot

The approach to the EICC from Lothian Road is flat with a gentle slope down towards the two main entrances – the Strathblane and the Lennox. From this direction you will arrive at the Lennox entrance first.

Arriving from Haymarket Station to the venue, after the step-free pedestrian crossing the pavement slopes upwards – from this direction you will arrive at the Strathblane entrance first.

Venue Access

The EICC’s two main entrances, the Strathblane and the Lennox, both have automated sliding doors which are operated by a push button from the outside and by sensor from the inside. During an event these doors are manned with security who can offer assistance if required.

Navigating the venue

An effective concierge service, as well as prominent signage and lighting, ensure smooth navigation of the venue. In spite of the building’s complexity and size, it is highly-functional yet welcoming. A helpful team of staff will be on-hand to assist with navigational and accessibility needs.

Lifts

All areas of the venue can be reached by lift. All lifts have spoken messages indicating which floor the lift is on and whether the doors are opening or closing. Additionally, all lifts have grab bars for delegates with impaired mobility.

Toilet Facilities

On each floor of the venue there are adapted toilets, with grab rails, emergency buttons, lowered mirrors and fittings. Currently these toilets allow for either a left or a right lateral transfer, not both.

Wheelchair Spaces

There are three spaces in the front of the Sidlaw and Fintry Auditoria, which are available for wheelchair users.  There are also six wheelchair spaces in the Pentland Auditorium.

The EICC can make reasonable adjustments to facilities where required, such as providing a wheelchair ramp, which can be utilised to take wheelchair users on to the stage in the Lomond Suite, breakout rooms, Cromdale Hall, and Strathblane Hall.

Buggies

Buggies are welcomed at the EICC. There are Baby Changing facilities on all floors within the EICC. Leith’s, the venues catering partners, offer baby bottle and food warming if required.

Further information

If you require more information, please see the EICC disability access page.